Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard
Welcome to the roundup of must-see sports news from Friday, highlighted by Damian Lillard scoring a career-best 60 points in the Portland Trail Blazers’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
We’ll also take a look at the nation’s top prospect in men’s college basketball playing on Friday night for Memphis just hours after he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA.
All this and more as we get you up to speed with the sports world on this Saturday.
Blazers’ Damian Lillard Scores Career-High 60 Points in 119-115 Loss to Nets
Despite the loss, Damian Lillard… what a night.
The Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard absolutely lit it up on Friday night, scoring a career-best 60 points against the Brooklyn Nets.
Career-high. Franchise Record.
60 piece for @dame_lillard. 🎥
Lillard’s franchise record for points in a game could not propel the Blazers to a victory, however, as the Nets prevailed in the shootout, 119-115.
The four-time NBA All-Star connected on 19-of-33 from the field, hit seven three-pointers and made all 15 of his free throws.
A career-high 60 for Dame 😳
The Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie put up 34 points and Kyrie Irving tallied 33 to overcome Lillard’s all-world night, as Brooklyn got back to .500 at 4-4 on the season.
The Blazers have lost four straight and have dropped to 3-6.
Nation’s Top Prospect, Memphis’ James Wiseman Ruled Ineligible by NCAA, Suits Up For Friday’s Game
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesThe No. 1-ranked prospect in the nation, Memphis freshman center James Wiseman
James Wiseman, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2019 class and the projected top pick in the 2020 NBA draft, finds himself at the center of an early-season firestorm with the NCAA.
The ultra-talented freshman guard was ruled ineligible by the NCAA on Friday but the ruling was halted by a Shelby County Judge for the time being and Wiseman suited up for the No. 14 Memphis Tigers on Friday night.
The decision by the Memphis court came down less than an hour before Memphis played Illinois-Chicago. Wiseman ended up scoring 17 points and had nine rebounds and five blocks in the Tigers’ 92-46 blowout win.
Memphis fans cheered as James Wiseman was introduced as a starter less than an hour after he was ruled ineligible.
The team got an emergency restraining order to allow Wiseman to play. Watch UIC-Memphis live: t.co/0kOQkTF7HB
The issue at hand for the NCAA is that they believe Memphis’ coach Penny Hardaway, who they have deemed a booster to the University, helped finance Wiseman and his family’s move from Nashville to Memphis when he was in high school in 2017.
The second-year coach had previously donated $1 million to the University of Memphis back in 2008 to help fund the university’s Penny Hardaway Hall of Fame, which makes him a booster according to NCAA rules.
Breaking: The NCAA has ruled Memphis’ James Wiseman ineligible, his lawyer, Leslie Ballin, said in a news conference.
Coach Penny Hardaway assisted Wiseman and his family’s move to Memphis in 2018, and the NCAA has deemed Hardaway a booster.
Wiseman’s attorney Leslie Ballin told reporters that Hardaway financed the family’s move in 2017. Hardaway then went on to coach Wiseman at East High School in 2017-2018 before he came on to coach his alma mater Memphis. Wiseman, who was Hardaway’s top recruiting target in the 2019 class, picked Memphis over Kentucky.
The University of Memphis Athletics released a statement on Friday saying that their star prospect was originally going to be kept out of the game, but they decided he could play after the court ruling.
I spoke w/ James Wiseman’s co-counsel Randy Fishman.
“If the court grants the injunction, [the NCAA] won’t be able to do anything unless they want to be held in contempt of court,” Fishman told @GoTigers247.
A full timeline w/ a plan moving forward:
The NCAA declared Wiseman eligible in May, but after months of investigating, documentation of the moving expenses surfaced, said Memphis.
“The University is currently working with the NCAA staff to restore his playing status, and we are hopeful for a speedy resolution to the matter,” Memphis said in Friday’s statement.
The NCAA issued a statement after Wiseman was sent out to play for the Tigers.
NCAA statement on James Wiseman:
DON’T MISS THESE STORIES: Rounding Up the Top Headlines
Chase Young, who could be the #1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft, will not play for Ohio State Saturday as the NCAA investigates a potential rules violation.
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- Ohio State star DE Chase Young out for Saturday’s game due to possible NCAA violation
- Chief’s Patrick Mahomes to return Sunday vs. Titans
- MUST-SEE VIDEO: Jazz’s Bojan Bogdanovic’s buzzer-beating game-winner vs. Bucks
- Raptors’ Kyle Lowry suffers small fracture in thumb vs. Pelicans
- Vikings receiver Adam Thielen ruled out for Sunday’s game against Cowboys
- Redskins won’t pay OL Trent Williams’ remaining $5.1 million base salary for 2019
WHAT’S ON TAP IN THE SPORTS WORLD ON SATURDAY
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: No. 3 Alabama (8-0) vs. No. 2 LSU (8-0)
The day has finally arrived for the most-anticipated game in this year’s college football season – the battle of the two SEC unbeaten powerhouses, Alabama and LSU. College Football Playoff implications will be riding on the huge matchup and President Trump is expected to be in attendance in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as the top two teams in the AP Poll and No. 2 and No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings clash.
WHEN: Today, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: No. 4 Penn State (8-0) vs. No. 17 Minnesota (8-0)
Alabama-LSU won’t be the only game today featuring two undefeated teams. Penn State and Minnesota hookup in a battle that will have a significant impact on the Big Ten race. Coming into the week, Penn State is tied with Ohio State for first place in the East Division and Minnesota has a two-game lead in the West Division.
WHEN: Today, 12 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Missed Yesterday’s Roundup? Click here for it.